The Unicorn Hunter
by BobwhiteBobwhite
Summary: Alys began her quest for a selfish reason, but a few reluctant friendships and one unexpected romance might soften her heart and change the fate of the world. The unicorns may not be the only ones saved in the end. King Haggard/OC
1. Alys

Alys marched angrily along the deeply rutted road, keenly aware of the last few coins jingling in her purse. Her brow furrowed even more than it already was before she thought about those coins again.

Money had been tight for a few years now, but these days she was downright starving. She hadn't been able to find a unicorn for months, much less catch one. She was no longer willing to believe that it was a mere councidence.

If the rumors were to be believed, it was all the fault of that wretched King Haggard and his red bull.

She gave a small rock a lofty kick as she went and immediately regretted it, remembering the worn state of her shoes.

She swore under her breath and knelt to rub her toe. She stood and pushed her long, dark hair away from her face. She sighed in frustration and practiced in her mind, for the hundredth time, what she would say to the king.

The weather seemed to grow colder the closer she got to Haggard's land. She had never met the king, only heard the rumors about him.

 _He's evil; the moment he touched his land, all the plants and animals died;_ none of it worried her much. Even if he had her executed, it wouldn't be such a loss. Being alive only meant having to keep herself alive some more.

The trees thickened as she walked on. She clutched at her purse, making sure once more that she was, in fact, as poor as she thought.

For anyone else, this journey would've been hazardous, for the woods leading to Haggard's kingdom were dangerous and full of criminals. But being something of a criminal herself, and a sorceress on top of that, made her an unappealing target.

She heard whispers and a twig breaking behind her and turned to see two people hiding unsuccessfully in the foliage.

"Come on out, then," Alys called, slightly annoyed. She didn't like to use her magic any more than she had to, but she would if some buffoon tried to threaten her.

"Oh," a voice said, "Heavens, it's only Alys."

The two figures emerged. She squinted at them. One she recognized as Molly Grue, a resident of the forest with whom she was familiar. The second was a tall, lanky man made taller by a pointed blue hat.

Alys rolled her eyes at their pathetic attempt at hiding. "Well?" She asked, "What do you mean by sneaking around, following me in the woods? I could've turned you into two little bluebirds just now."

"N-nothing," the strange young man stammered, "we just happened to be traveling the same way."

Alys tilted her head suspiciously.

"I don't think we should…" Molly began. But it was too late; a third figure appeared.

She emerged as if from nowhere, as delicate as a thin white mist. A horse-like figure and yet so ethereal and ancient that she was recognizable immediately as only one thing: a unicorn. Alys had seen hundreds of them in her life and had captured many of them.

"Now listen, Alys," Molly said, stepping protectively in front of the creature, "I won't allow you to--"

"Don't worry your head, Molly Grue," Alys said, "I'm… er… not on duty."

Molly and the strange man glanced nervously at the unicorn.

"I trust her," the unicorn said, her voice wise and echoing, "Though I know what she is and what she does. She has an honest heart."

Molly sighed in relief. "Alys, this is Schmendrick the magician. And this… is the last unicorn in the world."

Alys gazed at the unicorn. "I believe it. I haven't so much as seen a unicorn in three months. And...well, finding unicorns is sort of my job."

She gave the group a wry smile, wondering if her joke was a little too dark considering the circumstances.

"We have a hunch that the other unicorns are--" Schmendrick began.

"Trapped?" Alys interrupted, "Yeah, so do I. I'm going to King Haggard's castle to, um, reason with him."

 _If kicking the old goat in the shins is what you'd call "reasoning"._

"Our quest is somewhat similar," Schmendrick said, "You could join us if you want."

"Or _you_ could join _me_ ," Alys retorted, lifting an eyebrow and smirking, "Who's in front here?"

Schmendrick gave Molly a look and Molly nodded in reply.

The unicorn was the first to catch up to Alys, walking slowly beside her. Molly and the magician lagged behind for a while, probably keeping their eyes on the untrustworthy character they'd accepted into their party.

The four of them continued down the road together, not speaking.


	2. Schmendrick

"What do you know of King Haggard?" the unicorn asked.

"I have heard that he's an old man who rules over barren country by the sea," Schmendrick said, "Some say that Haggard's land was green and soft once, before he came, but the minute he touched it, it became hard and gray."

"I've heard he's a selfish old bastard who thinks everything belongs to him," Alys muttered.

"Alys!" Molly scolded.

"What?" Alys snapped back.

Molly nodded toward the unicorn.

"Oh," Alys said, rolling her eyes, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to offend you."

"You haven't," the unicorn said.

Schmendrick frowned at Alys. "From what I've heard, you and King Haggard would probably get along very well."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alys glared at him, her lips tightening into a downward curve.

Schmendrick's face softened. "Nothing; never mind."

Alys let out a huffy breath, lagging behind to be alone for a while without the ramblings of fools.

The trees were beginning to thin out again, giving way to barren gray rocks.

After a while, Molly looked back at Alys and motioned her forward with an inviting smile.

Alys sighed and rejoined the rest of the group.

"Tell me about the red bull," the unicorn said thoughtfully.

"The red bull?" Schmendrick repeated, "I've heard too many tales, to tell you the truth. I've heard that the bull is real...that the bull is a ghost..."

"I've heard that it keeps Haggard prisoner in his own castle," Molly said.

"Or that it protects him," Schmendrick added.

"I thought I heard that the bull is a spirit that obeys Haggard because he has no fear," Alys contributed.

As they rounded a corner, a giant castle became visible in the distance. It was dark and shrouded in mist, with spires like jagged claws on the outstretched paw of a beast.

"Haggard's fortress," Schmendrick announced, "We'll be there tomorrow if we walk all night."

"Where does King Haggard keep the red bull?" the unicorn asked. She was calm, but there was a nervousness to her voice that wasn't there before.

"I have heard that he roams at night and lies up by day in a great cavern beneath the castle," Schmendrick said.

"Well, we'll know soon enough," Alys said, pushing past the magician continuing onward.


	3. The Red Bull

"Schmendrick, the light!"

Molly's shrieks woke Alys up in the middle of the night. She shook the sleep quickly out of her head, jumping up ready to defend herself against any beast.

The woods were flooded in a fiery red light. Heavy footsteps clopped toward them in the night.

"What the--?" Alys asked as a thunderous roar rang through the woods.

A hulking, ghostly red bull was charging toward them. It was huge and muscular, bathed in fire with evil eyes, foaming at the mouth.

The unicorn had been discovered. She bolted in panic.

The bull charged right past the humans, paying them no mind. The unicorn was his target and he had eyes only for her. The three humans jumped out of the way, stumbling backward.

The bull chased the unicorn this way and that, pushing her toward the castle. There was no escape. The bull was too fast to outmaneuver.

"Do something!" Molly cried, shaking Schmendrick.

"He's driving her!" Schmendrick said, "He can't want to kill her or he would've done it by now!"

"Back off, you old brute!" Alys yelled at the bull, running after it and casting electric spells at it whenever it came in range. But its thick hide barely held a mark and the bull ignored her, continuing his vicious chase.

Alys turned to Schmendrick, "Are you going to help?"

"He's driving her the way he drove the others, to the castle to King Haggard!" Schmendrick exclaimed.

"Please, please do something!" Molly cried, grasping his cloak.

"What can I do? You think the red bull likes card tricks?!" Schmendrick asked.

"Some magician!" Alys yelled angrily. She continued to throw all she could think of at the bull to stop him but none of it worked.

"Magic, do as you will," Schmendrick muttered under his breath, squinting his eyes in concentration, "magic, do as you will!"

Alys was knocked back in surprise by blinding flashes and loud crashes, as if lightning had struck. She stumbled and fell to the ground.

By the time she could see and hear again, the bull was gone and so was the unicorn.

In her place was a pale woman lying face-down on the ground, a waterfall of white hair spread out around her.

Alys stood up and brushed herself off. "What the hell just happened?"

Molly and Schmendrick rushed to the young woman's side. Molly lifted the girl into her lap. One look at her face made it perfectly clear: This was the unicorn in human form.

"What have you done?" Molly asked, "what have you done?!"

Alys caught her breath. Schmendrick might have been an awkward, lanky fool but somehow he had just performed some incredibly complex magic. She almost wished she would've thought of it first.

"What do you mean what have I done?" Schmendrick said, "Only saved her by magic, that's what I've done. By magic! By my own true magic! Doubtless, you are wondering how I plan to return her to her proper shape!"

He laughed nervously. "Wonder not! The power will come to me when I need it, and one day it will come to me when I call!"

"I didn't know you meant to turn her into a human girl!" Molly cried.

"The red bull came for a unicorn so she had to become something else," Schmendrick explained, "The magic chose the shape, not I. I am a bearer! I am a dwelling! I am a messenger!"

"You are an _idiot_!" Molly yelled, voicing Alys's own opinion, "Do you hear me? You lost her! You trapped her in a human body! She'll go mad!"

The unicorn woman groaned and began to wake up.

"I can change her back, don't worry about it," Schmendrick said, "I can change her back. And if I can't, Alys can."

"Oh no," Alys said, holding up her hands, "You started this mess. I can't undo a spell unless I know what it was in the first place."

The unicorn stood and tried to walk. She took only one step before crumbling back to the ground.

"What have you done to me?" the girl asked. Her voice was that of the unicorn, yet without the ethereal echo.

Molly's eyes filled up with tears. "Oh no!" she wailed, "Oh, please, no!"

Schmendrick knelt next to her. "You see, I couldn't think of anything else I could do to save you," he said softly.

The girl's voice trembled. "What have you done to me? I'm a unicorn. I'm a unicorn!"

She thrashed about wildly before Molly held her, saying, "Don't! Don't you hurt yourself!"

Schmendrick removed his cloak and Molly draped it over the girl's bare shoulders.

"The magic knew what it was doing," the magician said, "In this shape alone you have some hope of reaching King Haggard and finding out what has become of the other unicorns."

The girl began to cry. "I wish you had let the bull take me. I wish you had left me to the harpy! I can feel this body dying all around me!"

Alys leaned against a tree for support. The girl's cries conjured up memories of the unicorns she'd captured. She felt a stirring of guilt.

"I'm afraid of this human body more than I was of the red bull," the girl whimpered, "Afraid..."


	4. King Haggard

Molly and Alys helped the unicorn the rest of the way. Now trapped in a human body, learning to walk again was a challenge, but one she was overcoming quickly.

Haggard's castle loomed closer than ever now. It was a large fortress nearly hanging off of a cliff over the ocean.

The group approached the gates to the castle as the waves crashed on the rocks below. Two guards stood on either side of the doorway, their eyes peering suspiciously out of their helmets. The wind whipped through their red capes.

Schmendrick led the way, bowing slightly and waiting to be addressed.

The one on the left took out a sword and pointed it toward them. "Give your names," he said shortly.

"I am Schmendrick the magician. This is Molly Grue, my helper, Lady Alys the Hunter and this is… this is the Lady Amalthea," the magician introduced them all, "We seek audience with King Haggard."

"State your business with King Haggard," the guard pressed.

"Oh, I'll tell you my business alright…" Alys took a step forward, but Schmendrick grabbed her arm.

"I will, but to King Haggard himself," Schmendrick said firmly.

The guards then led them inside. The castle looked as though it had been abandoned for a thousand years. It was a cold, crumbling place with an eerie feeling about it. Like all the sadness in the world had congregated here.

"Take a more peaceful approach, I beg you," Schmendrick whispered to Alys, his grip tight on her upper arm, "more heads than yours are on the line here."

"Listen," Alys hissed back, jerking her arm away, "I don't care what happens to anyone else as long as I get fed."

Schmendrick hushed her as they continued to follow the guard.

Alys scowled at him and went to Lady Amalthea's side, taking her arm. The unicorn in a human body said nothing in reply, but looked at Alys curiously for a moment.

"What?" Alys hissed. Amalthea looked away.

"It's quiet," Alys said to Molly, "Where are all the guards? Doesn't that seem odd to you?"

Molly shrugged, seemingly afraid to speak, which was unusual for her. Though Alys didn't know her very well, she knew Molly was always good for an honest word.

Alys took of the carved beasts in the walls and atop the pillars. The inside of the castle was dark and musty, without a candle or torch in sight.

They began ascending a curving flight of stairs. When they were nearly to the top, the entire castle rumbled noisily.

Molly yelped, Alys swore and Amalthea nearly lost her balance.

"No, no, don't be afraid," the other guard said, "it's just the bull."

They were led into yet another cold, dank room. It was empty except for a tall, ornamented stone chair at one end. This room seemed colder than the previous ones, perhaps because the wicked king spent more time here than anywhere else.

"This is King Haggard's throne room," the first guard announced.

"Throne room? This is a cell! This is a tomb! Take us to King Haggard!" Schmendrick protested.

"I am King Haggard," the guard replied, removing his helmet, "This is Prince Lir, my son."

"Hi, glad to meet you," the prince said, removing his own helmet and placing it in the crook of his arm.

Alys stared, transfixed, at King Haggard. As much as she wanted to hate the old man who'd taken her livelihood, there was something she couldn't help but admire about him. A memory, perhaps, of a man who'd once been very handsome.

His hair was white and shaggy, with thick eyebrows and a thin beard to match. His eyes were a tired gray-blue. He had a hooked nose, sallow gray skin and a permanent scowl.

Alys remembered herself and looked away, only then noticing that the king hadn't looked away from her the entire time she'd been staring.

"What is your concern with me?" Haggard asked.

Now that she knew he was the king and not a mere guard, Alys even found herself pleased by his voice. It was strong and deep, especially for such an old man.

She shook her thoughts away quickly, reminding herself that this man was the cause of much unhappiness in her life and deserved no praise.

She looked at the prince. He had shaggy golden hair and soft features. He was a handsome young man, as far as Alys could tell.

"We seek, sire, to enter your service," Schmendrick spoke.

Alys was about to disagree and speak her mind but then thought of the benefits of such an arrangement. Food and shelter would certainly be part of it. Haggard would pay one way or another.

"I need no servants," the king said, turning away to sit on his throne.

"Damn it," Alys whispered to herself, winning a fleeting glance from the king as he observed them all once more.

"Oh, but surely sire, a magician," Schmendrick said, "A hunter, a fine cook, a…"

"You are losing my interest and that is very dangerous," the king said shortly, "My court consists of four men at arms."

"Four?!" Schmendrick asked, "But the pleasures of the court, sire! The music, the talk, the hunts and the balls and the great feasts!"

"They are nothing to me," Haggard said, "I have known them all and they have not made me happy. I will keep nothing near me that does not make me happy!"

"Then what _does_ make you happy, your highness?" Alys asked snappily before she could stop herself.

King Haggard looked at her incredulously. He was clearly unaccustomed to being spoken to in such a way.

"Very few things, my lady," he growled.

Alys folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

He looked back at Schmendrick. "I also keep one magician."

"Oh, a magician?" Schmendrick asked, discouraged, "What's his name?"

"He is called Mabruk," King Haggard said.

"Oh no," Alys groaned under her breath.

King Haggard jerked his head toward her for once again speaking out of turn. "You are familiar with him?"

"He's...something of a family friend," Alys mumbled.

"Small world," Schmendrick said quietly.

"Then you would know that he is known in his trade as 'the magician's magician'," Haggard said, taking a moment to look Schmendrick over, "I can see no reason at all to replace him with some vagrant, nameless, clownish--"

"I can," Molly spoke up, taking a step forward, "He doesn't, this marvelous Mabruk, doesn't make you happy."

King Haggard's eyes widened in surprise and then he glared at her. "How would you know?"

"Well, just look at you!" Molly said, motioning at him.

"Molly!" Schmendrick hissed while Alys snickered.

"Did you hear that, Mabruk?" King Haggard called.

Mabruk appeared in a wisp of smoke; a trick he'd taught Alys when she was fifteen.

"What does your majesty wish of me?" Mabruk asked, but caught sight of Alys, "It can't be... Is that little Alys? Still alive after all these years?"

He was a short, bent little man with long white hair and mean brown eyes. In one of his stubby, cracked hands he held a staff while with the other he tried to pinch Alys's cheek.

Alys waved his hand away, "Mabruk," she greeted him briefly, looking down her nose at he who once taught her magic.

He sneered at her and then turned to Schmendrick.

"Schmendrick, my boy, how nice to see you!"

"He has come to take your place," King Haggard said in a low voice, " _He_ is now my royal magician."

"The legendary Schmendrick? The runeless wonder? I know your majesty is a great collector of… oddities, but, uh…" Mabruk mocked.

"The woman is right," Haggard interrupted, "A master magician has not made me happy. I will see what an incompetent one can do. You may go, Mabruk."

Mabruk scowled. "I am not packed off as easily as that!"

He lifted his staff and began to cast some kind of spell with a crash and flashes of purple light. Haggard stood bravely before him while Lir rushed to defend Amalthea. Amalthea stepped around him as if to take on Mabruk.

Alys ran to her side. If Amalthea used her magic, she could give herself away.

Alys cast her own spell, smaller and much less powerful than what Amalthea was doing, but she hoped it would disguise it.

Mabruk stopped and began to laugh hysterically.

Prince Lir took his arm. "Come on, old man, I'll write you a reference."

"Haggard," Mabruk announced, "I would not be you for all the world. You have let your doom in by the front door, but it will not depart that way. Farewell, poor Haggard! Farewell!"

He disappeared once again, leaving Lir's hands empty.

"A hunter _and_ a sorceress then?" Haggard asked, approaching Alys who took a step toward him, trying to keep him at a safe distance from Amalthea.

"I don't often use magic for anything besides work. It only makes the job easier," she said with a smirk, "You know what they say, a spoonful of magic helps the brutal killing go down."

"Hmm," Haggard replied, faintly smirking back.

"Will you let them stay, Father?" Prince Lir asked.

"Well, they are here," he said turning to Lir, "Whether they mean my doom or not, I will look at them for a while."

He turned back to Schmendrick and announced, "You may come and go as you please. My secrets guard themselves."

Molly and Schmendrick shared a victorious glance.

Haggard stepped closer to Alys. "Will yours do the same?" he asked in a low voice.

He then walked away, sneaking glances back at Alys as he went.


	5. In the Service of the King

Alys lay silently in her bed. The room King Haggard had given her and Amalthea was cold and the castle was not a comfortable place to be by any stretch of the imagination.

"Why did you cover up for me today?" Amalthea's voice asked out of the darkness. She had lost her ancient echo and now her words stayed in one place just like any other human.

"What?" Alys snapped.

"When I stopped that man, why did you pretend it was you? You could've just as easily let me take the fall," Amalthea explained, "I'm only a unicorn, why would you care about me?"

"I don't," Alys said shortly, "I just didn't want you ruining things for me. You think Haggard would've let me, someone whose main profession consisted of capturing the creatures he collects, stay if he knew he finally had the last unicorn on earth? Not on your life!"

Amalthea was quiet. "Is that the same reason you tried to stop the red bull?"

"Alright, enough," Alys snapped, "Don't put any meaning into the things I do. I don't care about you or Schmendrick or Molly or King Haggard or anybody. Friends get you nowhere. The only way to stay alive in this world is to take care of your own damn self."

"That is not true," Amalthea said wisely, "Giving aid to others in need is the surest way to heal one's own heart."

"Yeah, go heal someone else's heart, Lady," Alys replied, annoyed, "the only reason I'm helping you is because it'll help me later."

Amalthea was silent and Alys slowly drifted to sleep.

When King Haggard had insisted that Prince Lir accompany Alys on her hunt the next morning, Alys was annoyed at first. Lir was a clever young man and a quick learner, but Alys had always preferred to work alone.

"Where are you from, Lady Alys?" Lir asked as they rode home, having successfully slaughtered a wild boar for supper that night.

"Why?" Alys snapped. Perhaps the king had sent Lir to pry information from her. Did he suspect them all of being after his unicorns?

"Just curious," Lir said quickly, "Molly and Schmendrick are so easy to talk to, but you and Lady Amalthea are... silent as statues."

Alys blinked. "I grew up in a place not unlike your home. It was a cold place, constantly icy with no relief."

"Then what happened?" Lir asked.

"Nothing," Alys lied, "I just decided I didn't want to be there anymore. That place never made me happy."

"Oh," Lir said thoughtfully.

The two of them rode on in silence. The land around them was mostly barren, but there were still small signs of life. Burrows, patches of grass, even the odd tree that still had green leaves.

"Why did your father send you along with me?" Alys asked finally, "You've clearly already learned to hunt and don't need any lessons. Seems suspicious to me."

Lir chuckled, "You're suspicious of everything, just like him. I think he mostly wanted to make sure you came back. He seemed to think he didn't make a great impression on you."

Alys frowned. "Why is that?"

"On account of all the snapping and the glaring, I suppose," Lir teased.

Alys frowned. "That's just my way, I guess. I hope I didn't offend either of you. I wish to gain the favor of the king, if he is capable of giving it."

Lir shrugged. "He doesn't tell me much of what he thinks. He was certainly impressed by you in particular. That I know."

Alys turned away, unsure of whether she should be pleased or not. The king's face had been slipping into her daydreams for most of the morning and well into the afternoon. What it meant, or how she felt about it, she didn't know for sure.

"Is the Lady Amalthea a relative of yours?" Lir asked after a while.

"No," Alys said, "Only a friend."

"Oh," Lir said, "you, er… just seemed very protective of her, that's all."

"She's… special," Alys said, "She's innocent and delicate. Very wise and strong in her own way, but I still feel like I should protect her. The world has not made her hard and angry as it has done to me."

This was partly true. She didn't mention that it was mostly a reluctant guilt that guided her actions. She'd already allowed harm to come to so many unicorns, it was only now that there was only one left that she felt she should turn a new leaf.

"She probably has many suitors hoping for her hand, am I right?" Lir asked, trying very hard to sound simply conversational.

Alys looked at him suspiciously. "No," she said shortly.

Lir seemed happy with this information, judging by his crooked grin.

"Try for her if you will, but I don't know how much success you will find," Alys said, "She thinks and knows much but says very little."

They entered through the gates. Lir waved to the king who was watching from his tower. Alys saw him there, watching like an eagle observing his pray before swooping in.

Lir and Alys cared for their horses and called for Schmendrick to help them carry the beast they'd killed up to the kitchen for Molly to prepare.

"Heavens!" Molly said as the three of them dumped the bloody boar on her table, "I haven't had this much food to work with since years and years ago!"

Alys changed her clothes and came back into the hall to find King Haggard gazing silently out the window.

"My lord," Alys greeted him.

The king turned and motioned with his hand. "Come; watch the sea with me."

Alys approached. The sea had never been very interesting to her; just a giant expanse of water and not even the drinkable kind. But as the sun began to set over the waves, like an egg in a big blue basket, she found it calming.

"The hunt was successful then?" The king asked.

"Yes, my lord," Alys said.

The two of them stood in silence for a while, watching the sunset.

Alys sneaked glances at the king. He had a noble profile, though the shape of his nose was more apparent from the side. He caught her looking at him and smirked.

"Lir was pleasant company?" He asked.

"I don't much enjoy company," Alys said, "but he was helpful. A fine hunter, your son."

"He is none of mine," Haggard said, "I found him on a doorstep where some peasant had left him. I thought I had never been happy and never had a son. It was pleasant enough at first, but it died quickly."

She wasn't sure why he told her this, but found herself wanting to keep speaking to him.

"I never had children, nor was I ever married," Alys said, staring out the window, "It never interested me before."

The king turned his head and looked at her straight on. "And now?"

Alys's throat tightened. "My lord?" she asked.

"You said it never interested you _before_ , do you still feel the same way?" the king asked.

"No," Alys said, suddenly feeling shy, "My feelings have changed since then. I wouldn't be opposed to a marriage if it happened to fall in my way."

"Hmm," the king said, looking back out on the ocean.

The sun was snuggling into the ocean now, like a tired child in a glittering black blanket.

Haggard looked at Alys, smiling faintly at the light dusting of freckles across her pale nose.

"We are very similar, you and I," he said, tilting his head.

"Sir?" Alys asked, her eyes darting uncomfortably around his face, unsure of where to focus.

"A hunter of unicorns can hardly be called a well-liked figure," Haggard said.

 _So he'd found out._ "I did what I had to do to survive," Alys said briefly, "I took no pleasure in my job."

"No," Haggard said, "No, I daresay you've never taken much pleasure in anything. Your life, rather like mine, has given you no cause for joy. Like me, you spend your days wandering around looking for something to make you feel. Even pain or sadness would be better than the emptiness."

Tears welled up in Alys's eyes. She hadn't cried since she couldn't remember when. The king's words had certainly made her feel _something_.

She tried to disguise the tears with a fiery scowl. She clenched her fists and stepped closer to the king meaning to look threatening. The king didn't move but looked down at her with interest.

"Speak of it never again," Alys growled harshly, "You don't know anything about me, damn you."

She turned on her heel and stormed away, leaving the king gazing after her in annoyance and admiration.


	6. Life in the Castle

The king and Alys didn't meet again for three weeks.

Alys went out and hunted and came home every day, and each day she saw the king watching from his tower but he never came down.

Nobody besides Schmendrick saw much of the king, but from the magician's reports, Haggard hadn't changed.

"Why do you ask?" Schmendrick asked Alys.

"No reason," Alys said quickly, "I just hope he's not planning to have us all thrown out."

"Doesn't seem likely," Lir's voice said, startling Molly, Schmendrick and Alys. Amalthea, however, didn't even look up.

The prince stood in the doorway of the scullery.

"May I?" he asked, motioning to a splintering stool next to Lady Amalthea.

She looked at the prince and then away again but said nothing.

"Of course, your highness," Molly said with a welcoming smile.

"My father's always been looking for new things to interest him," Lir said, sitting and joining in the conversation, "But he seems satisfied for once."

"You have a cat?" Molly asked suddenly, reaching under the table and coming up with a furry black and white cat wearing an eyepatch.

"What's on its face?" Alys asked, scrunching up her nose slightly. She'd never cared much for cats.

"Avast, woman!" the cat cried in a gravelly voice.

Molly gasped and almost dropped him, causing him to mew in surprise.

"You can talk?" Molly asked, holding the creature up to look at him.

"Aye, as good as ye if not better," the cat replied.

Alys looked to Lir for some explanation.

"I don't know where he came from," Lir shrugged, "He's just been here ever since I can remember. He generally stays out of the way, hunting rats I suppose."

The cat purred. "The finest rat hunter the world has ever seen, yessir."

Molly put the odd feline back down on the floor and watched him scamper away without another word.

Amalthea stood from her chair and left the room with no explanation.

"Where is she going?" Lir asked.

"To be alone with her thoughts, I don't doubt," Molly said, "The Lady Amalthea is a mysterious creature indeed."

Alys sighed and stood up.

"Let her be," Schmendrick said.

"I wasn't going anywhere near her," Alys grunted, "I thought time alone away from you was a good idea, as well."

Schmendrick frowned as she left.

The castle, though dark and dusty now, was constructed beautifully and must've been a grand place at one time.

The walls were carved with magnificent scenes and mythical creatures. As Alys traipsed through a great hall, she ran her fingers over the carvings, noticing them but not finding very much interest in them.

"My lady," the king's voice echoed through the hall as he emerged from a dark corridor.

"Your majesty," Alys replied, bowing slightly.

"Walk with me?" The king held out his arm. Alys hooked her arm cautiously around his and walked silently by his side.

"How are you getting on?" Haggard asked, "Have you found life agreeable here?"

Alys sighed. "As agreeable as can be expected, my lord."

"How might it improve?" the king asked.

Alys chuckled darkly. "I wish I knew."

King Haggard led her up the stairs leading to her room. "Lir has certainly appreciated the company. I'm certain he has grown as tired of me as I have of him over the years."

"You have raised him well, as far as I can tell," Alys said, "Perhaps you were never an affectionate father, but you were successful nonetheless."

They stopped in front of the heavy wooden door, behind which Lady Amalthea was likely hiding.

"You have an interest in Lir?" Haggard asked, raising one of his bushy white eyebrows.

"None whatsoever, your majesty," Alys said boredly, "Your son is not unpleasant, but he holds nothing I desire."

The king let out a breath that might have been disappointed or relieved. Alys couldn't tell which and wouldn't ask.

"This is where I leave you," Haggard said, "Good night, my lady."

He unlaced his arm from hers and continued up the steps, leaving her standing in the dark stairwell.


	7. The Dance

"A good haul today, Molly," Alys said, slinging her kill onto Molly's table as she always did.

Lir moved aside to make room. He seemed out of sorts, slicing distractedly at some potatoes, frowning and letting out his breath in angry puffs.

"Why, Alys!" Molly said, poking at the large deer, "It's magnificent!"

"This is why I'm here," Alys said boredly.

"Let us have a feast," Molly said, "You've brought home a sizable deer, Lir has slain a dragon in Amalthea's honor and we are closer than ever to achieving our goal. I doubt the king will show up to stop us and we need a little fun around here."

"Lir has..." Alys asked, "For Amalthea? Why?"

"He hopes to win her affection," Molly said with a proud grin.

"Molly..." Lir scolded half-heartedly.

Alys raised her eyebrow at Molly. _He can never succeed, Molly. She can't stay human forever, you fool._

"I suppose we'd better go prepare," she said, leaving the scullery.

Dinner was served that night in an almost empty ballroom near the scullery. Schmendrick had started a fire, Alys cleaned up the few pieces of furniture in the room and Lir swept the floor readying it for a night of dancing. It was almost cheerful with all the servants and the prince talking and eating.

Alys, after much persuasion, tuned the dusty old harp and played one of the few tunes she'd been taught in her younger days. The others danced and laughed quietly. Amalthea sat quietly as she always did, observing.

Then the king entered and immediately the tone changed. He took a seat and began to eat his supper there, watching them all. The group was no longer sure if they were allowed to continue. Haggard seemed to bring a shadow with him, for even the fire didn't burn as bright.

Alys placed a spell on the harp and rose from her seat. The harp continued to play without her.

She approached the king and bowed slightly. "Do you dance, your majesty?"

The rest of the group continued dancing, pretending not to watch.

"I do not," Haggard replied, "I learned when I was young but I have since fallen out of practice."

"I am not a great dancer either," Alys said, holding out her hand "We can relearn together."

King Haggard looked at her hand uncertainly. He folded his arms and seemed to have his mind made up, shrinking back into his chair as he always did.

Alys raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Dance with me, you old fool."

The king glared at her impudence but rose from his seat and grasped her, pulling her close to him with a little more force than necessary.

Alys settled into his grip and the two of them began an awkward and badly counted side-step.

This seemed to make the others more comfortable, for they continued to talk and laugh as before.

"A sorry king I must be indeed for my subjects to throw parties to which I am not invited," Haggard muttered.

"I don't think they meant to offend you," Alys explained, "Perhaps they thought you would not enjoy it."

"It would have been a safe guess," the king said, looking away from her to observe the room.

"I never liked dancing before," Alys said conversationally.

"And now?" the king asked, staring intently at her.

"What?" Alys asked.

The king frowned. "You said you never liked dancing before, so why insist on dancing now?"

Alys looked up at him. "Because, as I suspected, dancing with you is… somewhat different."

Haggard chuckled. "Indeed, I--"

His voice trailed off and a look of unwelcome surprise came to his worn face. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He broke away from her, keeping her hand in his.

"I've enjoyed this," he said, turning away and leaving the room as quickly as he could without running, his fingers slipping away from hers.


	8. The Hunt

"Alys?" Amalthea called quietly.

Alys finished buttoning her coat. "Yes?" she replied. She thought she'd been quiet enough not to disturb her roommate but then reminded herself that she was a unicorn and nothing got past her.

"Am I fit to marry a prince?" Amalthea asked, "I don't remember where I came from... it's all a bit unclear."

Alys looked at Amalthea. The many long months of being trapped in a human body had had a frightening effect on her. She was acting more and more like a human every day.

Alys walked over and knelt by Amalthea's bed. She took the small, delicate hand of the unicorn trapped in a human body. "You are more than fit for a prince, my lady. Your lineage is... more pure than you remember. Prince Lir should count himself lucky if you even glance his way."

"I think I may be falling in love with him," Amalthea said quietly.

Alys chuckled. "I think he'd be glad to hear that. He's only been trying to impress you ever since we arrived."

"And...what of you and the king?" Amalthea asked.

"The king," Alys said, frowning, jerking her hand away and heading back toward the door, "is downstairs waiting for me. Good day, my lady."

She left the room and marched down the stairs and through to the entry passage.

She got a kind of thrill when she saw the king waiting for her. He turned and watched her approach.

"Lady Alys," he said quietly, "shall we?"

The two of them headed out into the early morning. The sun had not yet begun to rise. Walking through the courtyard in the dark felt almost unreal, as if walking through the setting of someone's nightmare.

The two of them saddled their horses and set out.

"I've not been on a hunt in many years," the king said as they rode side by side across the narrow ledge that held the castle up.

"Well," Alys said smirking at him, "Don't scare the animals away, or it'll be a very sorry hunt indeed."

Haggard smiled. It was no imperceptible smirk or sneer this time. Alys had never seen a warm, genuine smile from him and was so shocked she almost didn't know whether she liked the smile or not.

"I am...glad you've come with me, your majesty," Alys said, not looking at him, "I enjoy your company."

"As I enjoy yours," Haggard replied.

The two rode on in silence.


	9. The Request

"For someone who has spent much of her life hunting unicorns, you've spent a great deal of time being a friend to one," Molly said as she and Alys washed and dried dishes.

"What are you talking about?" Alys asked, turning the goblet she was drying smoothly in her hand.

"You've got the king distracted, of course," Molly said proudly, "How can he wonder what Lady Amalthea truly is while he's falling in love with you? It's brilliant."

Alys gasped and crushed a glass in her hand. Molly gasped and said, "Not to worry dear, we'll get this cleaned up."

Alys collapsed into a chair and looked at Molly. "You think the king is falling in love with me?"

Molly swept up the pieces of glass. "Think?" she said, "Anyone can see it. The way he seeks you out, greets you when you return home. The way he looks at you from across a room. Even Lir says he's never seen him like this before."

"Molly, I.." Alys rubbed her temples, not sure what she had meant to say.

Molly grinned knowingly. "I know, my dear. I can see it when you're together. You love Haggard in return."

"Love the king?" Alys asked, "I do not know, I've never loved anything before."

Molly frowned slightly. "Nothing?"

Alys clasped her hands together and rested her elbows on the table.

"I only know that everything seems brighter," she said, "As if the stars have aligned and I'm doing exactly what I was meant to do, finally."

Tears welled up in Molly's eyes. "First Prince Lir and Lady Amalthea and now you and the king."

Lir, as if knowing he was being talked about, entered the scullery.

"Lady Alys," he said, gravely, "My father wishes to see you. He is in the east tower."

"Thank you, your highness," Alys said, bowing her head and walking toward the door.

Lir grasped her arm and said in a low voice, "Be careful. He's angrier than I've ever seen him."

Alys frowned but nodded. Suddenly, the thought of speaking with the king was less exciting. She traipsed through the corridors, shrinking closer and closer to the walls as she went.

Haggard was waiting, just as Lir said, on a balcony of the east tower. He was looking out on the water as he often did.

"My lord?" she announced her presence.

Haggard turned, stone faced. "Come."

Alys approached him carefully. _Had he found out about the plot to free the unicorns?_

"Mabruk was right," the king muttered, scowling down at the water.

"My lord?" Alys asked quietly.

"I have let my doom in by the front door, that was what he said," Haggard said, not turning to look at Alys.

"I... do not think any members of your court wish you harm, sire," Alys said, choosing her words carefully, "I certainly do not."

The king cackled. "No," he said, "No, I don't believe you came here hoping to ruin me the way you have. Yet ruin me you certainly did and you continue to do so, all the while with that same dead, innocent look in your eyes."

"I don't understand," Alys replied. _If Schmendrick and Molly were right, the unicorns will be free within a fortnight._ _I cannot let them down now._

"I called you here to tell you that _you_ are the doom that Mabruk foretold," Haggard said, roughly pulling her chin up forcing her to look at him, "Not that magician, nor the scullery maid, not even the unicorn. You alone."

"How do you know--?" Alys asked, her eyebrows pulling together in annoyance and confusion.

"That's not important now," Haggard said, grasping the young hunter's arms and shaking her, "You've ruined me, don't you understand? I am no longer the man I've been all my life!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Alys yelled.

He pulled her into a desperate kiss. She was surprised at first, but kissed him back longingly. _Longing? She'd never felt it before but now that it came it was unmistakable._

"For years," Haggard gasped, pulling away from her, "All my life, I never thought it was possible. Nothing I tried made me happy. The unicorns were my only escape, but now…"

His breath came out heavy and ragged. "I've found something that makes all my life joyful. Even when I am not with you, my life is brighter knowing you are near. I only wish you'd come to me earlier. You've ruined me."

"I am sorry, sire," Alys said, dazed.

"Do not apologize," Haggard said, "Say only that my feelings are returned. Promise never to leave this place. Tell me that you are mine."

Alys looked at him. "I _am_ yours, my lord. I have only one request."

"What is it, my love?" Haggard asked.


	10. The End

The unicorns came pouring out of the ocean in floods.

The five humans and Lady Amalthea watched from a cliff far above the ocean.

"Where is the red bull?" Molly asked.

"The red bull is no longer here," Haggard explained, "He will only obey a master with no fear and for the first time in my life I have something I fear to lose."

The unicorns continued escaping, scattering back to their respective homes.

Watching them seemed to awaken a memory in Lady Amalthea, who asked, "Will I join them?"

Alys wrapped her arms around the unicorn in a woman's body. "Forgive me," she whispered, "for all the wrong I've done you and yours."

"There is nothing to forgive," Amalthea said quietly.

"Schmendrick and I have spoken about this," Alys said, grinning faintly at the goofy magician, "and we leave the choice up to you. Remain human and live out the rest of your mortal life with Lir, or return to your true self and go back to the home you once protected. We will help you either way."

Amalthea gave Lir a look with tears in her eyes. "I have to go back," she whispered.

"I know," the prince replied, embracing her.

Amalthea turned to Schmendrick and nodded.

Schmendrick concentrated and, finally able to control his powers, returned Amalthea to her true form.

The last unicorn shook her mane and whinnied, dazzling them all with her beauty once more before sprinting back home.

They watched her until she was out of sight.

"You will stay?" Haggard asked, finally, "Not as servants, but as friends?"

Schmendrick and Molly shared a glance.

"We would be glad to," Schmendrick said, "at least for now."

"Of course," Molly said, grasping Alys's hands, "We have a wedding to plan!"

Alys smiled and hugged Molly.

"I'm afraid I cannot stay," Prince Lir said, "The pain is still too fresh. I cannot linger in a place with so many memories. I must go traveling for a while."

Haggard nodded. "I understand. Go and be happy, my son."

Haggard grasped Lir's shoulder, feeling something toward him for the first time in years.

Lir took his leave while the rest went back inside the castle, intent on making it a place of joy.


End file.
